One Plus One Equals Three
by SessInSunglasses
Summary: Inu no Taisho has just met Izayoi, and so has Sesshoumaru, and they both fall in love. Who will win Izayoi's heart in this Triad of Love? Read to find out! One of my Best!
1. Chapter 1

Hey, everyone! I wrote this little ditty to try and get rid of my writer's block, and I'm quite happy with how it turned out; gives me faith that I can finish what I start, after all! Just some fluff about how Inuyasha's parents met, and everything that happened after that. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own, so don't have a cow, man!

**One Plus One Equals Three**

_Part One_

He watched her through the sharp blades of grass before his eyes, her feet bringing her ever closer to his hiding place. Her long black hair, shining in waves in the blazing sun, was skimming the ground behind her; her many layered-kimono flowing underneath it, preventing and dirt from working its way into the long ebony strands. He could smell her scent, it wafted over his olfactory cells and he inhaled deeply, memorizing every little detail so he could bring out and mull over them later when he was away from her.

Someone called out to her, a young man with hair just as black as hers, and he sensed her hesitation. He heard her call, "Hello, Takemaru! How are you this fine day?"

The young man rushed up to her, slowing as he approached, and the demon watched as the man embraced her warmly, a growl rumbling deep in his throat.

Izayoi, the young woman, accepted Takemaru's gesture with grace, but she was squirming inside. She liked him well enough; he was a Corporal in her Father's army, but all his attention toward her lately had her thinking that maybe he had something more in mind than just mere friendship.

The look in his eyes as he answered, "My Lady, I am _very_ well, now that you are with me. May I enquire how your day has been progressing?" made her want to gag. He was nice, and she liked him, but…he just wasn't what she pictured herself married to, and she had a sneaking suspicion that the man had had that very subject on his mind for quite a while now.

His frequent visits, his gifts, and his none-too-subtle hints (she was sure _he _thought they were subtle) had her Father dancing with joy, and urging her to encourage him, but she just could not bring herself to love him. She was lonely, true; her days were spent practicing tea ceremony and painting in her room, but lately she'd been drawn to the expansive gardens out back; she couldn't say, but something seemed to be calling her, luring her into the green flora and colourful fauna that grew just outside her bedroom window.

She nodded perfunctorily as he droned on about his day, having told him that she hadn't done anything yet besides bathe, herself. She quickly found herself losing interest in anything he had to say. She forced herself to look at his face as he went on about some recent battle he fought, and she thought, _he's handsome enough, I suppose, but he just isn't_…

She couldn't finish the thought. She didn't know _what_ he was; all she knew was what she felt, and she felt that he wasn't the man for her.

At eighteen, she was long past marrying age, but, being an only child to a Lord in the village, her Mother having passed away when she was just a small girl, she had been spoiled shamelessly by her Father, for she was all he had left to remind him of his late wife, and Izayoi had grown into an almost exact duplicate of her beautiful Mother.

With her china-smooth skin, her pale complexion, sea-blue eyes and jet-black hair, she was a sight to behold. Takemaru was not the only man interested in her; several boys she'd grown up with came by often to visit with her, but none so surreptitiously plotted to get her alone as Takemaru did; she supposed he was putting to use what he knew: battle strategy, though she found she didn't prefer to be thought of as prey in his little hunt for her affection.

A silence fell, and their conversation lulled; well, _his_ conversation. He must have asked her a question.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention, Takemaru, forgive me. I haven't been feeling myself lately, and I'm quite tired. I think I'll go back to bed, excuse me." She was glad the excuse had come to mind as quickly as it had; she didn't think she could endure his company any longer.

Smiling apologetically, she rose, and he kissed her hand. "Until we meet again, my Lady," he said huskily, as he stared up at her from under his black bangs, his eyes narrow as he favoured her with a practiced, devilish smile.

She simply nodded and, extracting her hand, closed the shoji behind her, shutting him out of her life once again.

Retreating to her room, where she could watch Takemaru depart, she waited by the window until he disappeared from sight, and then rushed back outside again.

When he'd interrupted her, she'd been searching for the source of power she'd felt drawing her toward it, but it had vanished with the sound of Takemaru's voice. Now, however, it flared again, and the further she wandered, the stronger it became.

She paused at the edge of the forest; the gardens around her home were extensive, and she knew them like the back of her hand. The forest, however, was uncharted territory for her, for she had been warned her whole life to stay out of it, and had never felt an urge to disobey her Father's one rule - until now, that is.

He watched from his new spot, a tree fifty feet away, as she stopped, staring uncertainly into the darkness between the trees, wondering if she should risk a trip inside to see what lay ahead. He smiled, and made his jaki surge; she smiled, a tiny grin, and took a chance, walked on the wild side, for the first time in her young life. He grinned as she followed his power signature.

Izayoi picked her way carefully around tree trunks and their exposed roots, not wanting to soil her kimonos and give her Father any clue as to where she had been, for if he knew where he was, he would be furious with her. He had often told her stories of demons who inhabited the forest, and it was these stories that had staved off her curiosity and prevented her from ever venturing into the darkened depths of the bush behind their home. Her heart began to pound when she felt a presence behind her.

Whirling, she expected to be faced with a horrible demon, something only her imagination could conceive, that would devour her and pick its teeth with her bones, but the sight that confronted her stole all breath from her lungs, and momentarily halted her hammering heart.

A man stood before her, but he was like no man she had ever seen before; his long white hair, fastened in a topknot at his crown, blew gently behind him in the slight breeze that could penetrate this far into the dense vegetation around them. His armour, flat, layered, and garnished with large spikes, covered his chest and shoulders. A strange fur pelt fluttered behind him, separating into two different pieces, and his hands, she noticed with a sort of clinical detachment, were armed with pointed nails much longer than her own; they almost looked like…claws. He was truly an intimidating - yet dashing - sight to behold.

Her jaw dropped, and she briefly experienced a terrible urge to scream, but, then, he smiled.

Her heart began whamming in her chest once again as breath returned, and she felt something deep and primal stir in her gut at the sight of his smile, which, in itself, was quite predatory, but made her want to do sexual things with this man that made her blush.

He chuckled, deep and melodic, and she thought she might swoon. He was so very handsome, _and he was coming toward her!_

She finally remembered where she was, and, seeing his pointy ears, realised what he was, and her heart began to pound in fear, all traces of lust evaporating swiftly.

He watched her closely; he had smiled to put her at ease, and it had seemed to work. This beautiful creature, who had followed his jaki, was finally here before him at last, and he was about to speak to her when she opened her mouth as if to scream, the former look of lust on her face replaced with that of pure fear.

Pausing, he smiled again, and, reaching out a hand, said, "I will not harm you, Lady."

She closed her jaw with an audible click and a brow went up. She had been taught that all demons were evil, but this one had just referred to her as Lady, as any respectful contemporary would. She idly wondered how old he was. Maybe he was too young to know better, but hadn't she heard that demons lived for centuries, even eons? She couldn't remember. He certainly looked old enough to know better.

He spoke again, this time smiling as he did.

"I am Inu no Taisho, Demon Lord of the Western Lands. I mean you no harm."

She nodded then, deciding he was sincere, for she figured if he'd wanted her dead she would be already, so she approached him, cautiously.

When she came close enough to hear him breathing, she bowed low and said, "I am the Lady Izayoi, my Lord, princess of this village."

He chuckled, pulling her to her feet and taking both her hands warmly in his.

"I see that," he laughed, taking in the many layers and colours of her kimonos. She glanced at the jewel cased in his breastplate, its facets winking crimson rays of light at her blue eyes.

He tipped her face up to his, and looked deep into her cerulean eyes, as she in turn looked deep into his molten gold irises. Never had she seen a shade so peculiar; then again, everything about him was a little peculiar. She thought they suited him perfectly.

"Now that we know each other," he breathed, caught up in the sound of her rapid heartbeat, "would you care to take a stroll with me?"

She smiled, and nodded, taking the arm he offered.

As they walked, her eyes adjusted to the gloom, and she saw a path ahead, and as he led them down it, she asked, "My Lord, why did you draw me out here, if I may be so bold to ask?"

He replied, "You may, and please, call me Ryo. 'Inu no Taisho' seems so impersonal."

She smiled.

"I drew you out here because you have captured my heart, Izayoi. I know that sounds presumptuous, but when I saw you, I could not help but try to capture your attention in return."

She blushed; he certainly was honest, but how could she know whether he was telling the truth?

She already trusted him; there was something in his eyes when he looked at her that made her believe in his sincerity. She wildly thought, _What am I doing, walking in the woods, unchaperoned, with a **demon**?  
_

He stopped walking, and turned her to face him. She barely knew this man, yet already she felt safer in his arms than she did in her own bed at night.

He looked into her eyes again, and she felt the lust of before make a crashing comeback, and her belly grew aflame with an internal heat that she could not quench.

"I think I am in love with you, Izayoi. Before now, I thought love at first sight was just a horrific cliché, but now that I've met you…I cannot tear myself away."

He lowered his face and pressed his lips to hers, delighted when her response was to return the kiss fervently. Izayoi had never been in love. She'd had a few crushes, but what she felt now, in this demon's strong arms as he held her flush to his hard, warm body, she was sure it was love.

Her hand inched its way up his chest to graze an ear, then embed itself in the long silky strands of white hair fluttering in his topknot, while his own hands roamed her body, memorizing every curve and every fold in her kimonos. He released her for air, her gasps like music to his sensitive ears.

"Izayoi!"

Her eyes flew open and she gasped in fear, this time.

Ryo frowned, and immediately pushed her behind him, protecting her. The sound of his two swords clacking together brought her completely out of her lusty mood and forced her mind to concentrate on the voice so urgently calling her name.

She put a hand on his arm to calm him.

"I shouldn't be here."

An overwhelming feeling of guilt consumed her; she had disobeyed the one rule her Father had enforced on her, and she was afraid of what he would do when he found out where she was, but, more so, she was afraid of what he would do to Ryo when he found out she'd been cavorting with a man she didn't know, let alone a demon!

It didn't even occur to her to wonder what her Father would do to _her_ when he found her. Her fear for Ryo was so great that she'd completely forgotten to fear for herself.

"Please, you must go!" she urged, pushing him away, though he did not budge.

"Why? Who is it?"

"My Father! If he finds you here he'll kill you!"

Ryo drew the long sword from his back.

"Let him come; I am not afraid of a human."

She sighed, exasperated.

"No, you don't understand! My Father will try to kill you, and I don't want either of you getting hurt! Please, just go!"

He re-sheathed his sword, and traced a hand along her jaw.

"When will I see you again?"

She looked at him, then over her shoulder, urgently. _Her Father was coming!_

"Come back tonight," she blurted, and he pulled her close, planting a hard kiss on her soft lips.

"I'll be waiting, in the garden," he said, and then was gone.

She touched her lips and hid her smile as her Father burst through the bushes, finding her alone.

"Izayoi! What are you doing?"

She fell to her knees, and bowed until her forehead touched the ground.

"Please forgive me, Father. I heard a noise, and came to see what it was. I did not mean to disobey you."

Despite her best efforts to keep them in, tears flowed like rivers down her cheeks. She hated to disappoint her Father, and was afraid to raise her head and see the look of disappointment she knew must be in his wrinkled old eyes.

She heard him sigh, then crouch down before her.

"Izayoi, look at me."

She sniffed, and her shoulders shook from crying. Gently, he eased her face up, and to her astonishment, he was smiling.

She hiccupped. "Father?" she asked warily. He began to chuckle.

"Oh, Izayoi, I didn't mean to yell at you so harshly. I just keep forgetting that you aren't a little girl anymore, and that you can think for yourself. I know you feel too old to be still obeying my silly, 'don't go into the forest at all costs' rule, but you do understand that it's for your own safety, don't you?"

She sniffled, and nodded. Her Father smiled and, taking her arm, led her back home.

All the way she felt increasingly glad that her outburst had prevented her Father from noticing the extra set of footprints all around her in the soft dirt of the forest floor.

"Tell me what Takemaru had to say."

She turned her head to look at him, a suspicious brow raised.

"Were you spying on me again, Father?"

He looked away, trying to hide a guilty smile.

"Maybe."

"Uh huh. That sounds like a lie. I don't know what he said, I wasn't paying attention."

Her Father sighed, exasperated.

"Izayoi, we've been over and over this: you have to start paying attention if you want him to keep courting you!"

She whipped her face back to his.

"He's courting me? Since when? I just thought he was over-ambitious!"

Her Father shook his head.

"That is what I'm talking about, darling. Your head has been in the clouds for so long that you don't even know what is going on around you. He asked for my permission to court you three weeks ago."

"Why didn't he say anything, then?"

"He probably did; you just weren't listening."

She lowered her head guiltily. Ryo's handsome face flashed before her eyes. She smiled a little, then bit her lip.

"What's wrong with him, Izayoi? He loves you; he has a good occupation, and he continues to impress my General with his knowledge of stratagems. He will, himself, be a high-paid General before long. What more could you possibly want?"

She looked at him, and his heart lurched at the emptiness, the desperation in her eyes.

"I don't love him," she choked, and he took her in his arms, rubbing her back and patting her head.

He was quiet for a long time before asking, "Then who do you love, Izayoi?"  
S

he looked over her shoulder and into the gardens, to the forest beyond, and whispered brokenly, "I don't know."

**oOo**

That night, Izayoi lay awake in her bed, staring at the stars in the sky from her window, the tiny lights winking at her so high above. The moon was full; it lit up the whole garden. Ryo waited patiently on a bench outside the high wall that surrounded Izayoi's Father's estate. A guard had passed a minute ago, and he looked around again to make sure no one saw him as he jumped over the wall, landing with a soft thud on the inside.

She got out of bed and put on her bathing robe; the night was warm and the robe covered all that was necessary. She padded quietly onto the porch, and left her bedroom shoji open, to eliminate the amount of noise of opening and closing it later.

Following the gravel path, keeping to the grass in her bare feet, she wound her way to the centre of the garden, which was designed like a Labyrinth; if you didn't know the way, you would become lost easily.

When she reached the white marble fountain, a statue of a large koi, with water spurting from its open mouth, she sat down on the rim and made herself comfortable.

She sighed. There was a feeling in her gut like lead; she was very nervous, anxious to see him again, but wondering whether or not the whole meeting had been a dream her tired mind had conjured in her utter boredom from Takemaru's visit, or had, in fact, really happened.

A hand touched her shoulder. She jumped, but Ryo pulled her up into his chest, his nose in her hair, and she let him hold her.

She noticed he had a smell himself: he smelled like metal and leather, and something spicy that she liked very much. Pulling back out of her hair, a mere inch away from her face, he gazed into her eyes, which were navy-blue in the moonlight.

"Izayoi," he whispered, and she opened her eyes wide. There was something about this man that made her want to throw all her inhibitions out the window.

"Yes, Ryo?" she asked, her breath catching, his eyes glinting a dark gold.

"I want to kiss you," he breathed, and began to kiss her neck. She didn't resist as he kissed a hot trail down her neck, and pushed her white robe off her shoulder, taking his warm trail over her clavicle and thumping artery.

She closed her eyes; he could do _anything_ to her right now, and she would let him. She was lost in him, and when he called her name, she frowned; she didn't want him to stop.

"Izayoi," he said again, and shook her. She opened her eyes and looked at him, drunk with lust.

"What is it?"

He pushed her behind him again and said, "Someone's coming."

This brought her back to awareness with a snap.

Outside the wall, a dead guard went flying through the air, and Ryo narrowed his eyes. Whoever it was must be searching for him; he was killing silently, and didn't want Ryo to know he was coming. He was also masking his scent, for Ryo could pick up nothing in the breeze that drifted toward him. He turned around, grabbing Izayoi by her upper arms.

"I want you to go inside, love," he said, glancing over his shoulder. She began to panic.

"Who is it? What do they want with you?" Her eyes were wide; she feared for his life.

"Knowing my luck, it's probably Sesshoumaru."

"Sesshoumaru? Who's that?"

He smiled at her. "My son."

Her jaw dropped open again, as many times in as many days.

"You have a son?"

He chuckled warmly.

"You don't look a day over twenty-five! How can you have a son?"

"I'll explain myself later, Izayoi, but right now, you need to go back to bed. I will try to lead Sesshoumaru away from here. He will not be happy, I'd wager. I don't want him taking his anger out on you. I'll return to you soon."

Kissing her lips, he held the back of her head with his hand, and hers played with the white strands of hair at his waist, then, using his demonic speed, rushed her to her window, and helped her inside. Then, with one last passionate kiss, he was gone.

Ryo got to the fountain and sighed heavily. Sesshoumaru sat on the rim, licking his bloody fingers clean, waiting for his Father. He looked up and gave a small smile.

"It's not every night I find my distinguished Father in the garden of a princess," he drawled, folding his arms up his sleeves, and slowly approaching Ryo. Izayoi watched silently from the ledge of her window; if either of them looked, only her eyes would give her away in the darkness within.

_This was Sesshoumaru?_ she thought. He didn't look any older than she was, and he was quite handsome, too. _Was everyone in this demon family hot?  
_

She blinked, and focussed her mind on the conversation before her.

"What do you want Sesshoumaru?" Ryo began to frown. It was just like his son to show up and try to ruin his relationship with Izayoi; both knew she was listening, and he didn't want her to hear what Sesshoumaru would surely say to insult her, to hurt him.

"_Want_? Father, I come not for a mere _want_. I come to save you from making a mistake, because if you see that disgusting human again, you will be committing a crime in the demon world, and you know it. I do not understand you, Father. Why must you possess this love for humans? They are weak, and needy, and only live for a hundred years, maybe more if they're lucky. What is it about them that endears them to you? You embarrass this family, Father. The other Lords do nothing but speak of your trysts, and the rumours are flying. I will not be subject to their speculation any longer, _Father_. Today someone even asked me if I would be following in your footsteps!"

Ryo's eyes flashed. "And what did you tell them, _son_?"

Sesshoumaru winced, but rushed onward regardless of the unspoken warning.

"I killed him, Father. No one remarks on things like that to me and lives."

"Not a very diplomatic way of dealing with your peers, Sesshoumaru, I'm disappointed."

Sesshoumaru glared, but still appeared chastised.

"I expected you to handle a situation like that with dignity and self-control, but you let yourself become angry, and made a grave mistake. Now we will both have to deal with the Dragon family, because it was their son who made that remark, wasn't it?"

Sesshoumaru looked away. _This happened every time!_ Whenever he thought he had enough information to back his Father into a corner, the Old Man came out barking and showed him up, and in front of a human this time, no less! His embarrassment was severe.

Ryo sighed. Sesshoumaru was so much trouble to deal with lately.

"Look, son-"

"Do not call me son, Father. I no longer wish to be a part of your family. I will not tolerate the rumours you let others initiate behind our backs any longer!"

Izayoi gasped softly. _Sesshoumaru's eyes were turning red!_

"Sesshoumaru!" Ryo's voice was angry, something that took a lot to extract from him.

Sesshoumaru paused in his transformation.

"So help me God, if you transform here, I will kill you! If you want to fight me, fine, but you will do it elsewhere, away from human eyes, do you understand me?" His voice was like iron, and as much as Sesshoumaru wanted to defy his Father's words, his mind knew better, and would not let him finish transforming. He returned to his humanoid form, an angry sulking look on his handsome face.

Ryo added, "And do not presume that you may just walk out of this family, Sesshoumaru. That will stir even more rumours than there already are. Do you want to be the laughingstock of the entire Western Province?"

Sesshoumaru growled. "No, Father, that's _your_ job."

Izayoi gasped again. _He was going to get it!  
_

Ryo said calmly, "Get up, Sesshoumaru."

"Why?"

"_Do it! _"

The tone of Ryo's voice warned Sesshoumaru that he'd gone too far, but he was not going to run away like a scared pup; he would face his Father's wrath like a man, his honour would settle for no less.

Ryo grabbed Sesshoumaru by the throat and lifted him easily off the ground. At first Sesshoumaru was limp, but soon, after a minute of lacking air, he began to struggle, and Ryo began to speak.

"Do not bait me, Sesshoumaru. I'm not old, or weak, and I can still kick your ass in a fight. Do not presume that you can speak your mind and not go unpunished for your insolence. Your Mother would be rolling over in her grave if she could hear you talk. And do not even get me started about your Mother. You know as well as I that I loved her very much, but you need to realise that it's been three hundred years since she died, and it's time you let her go. Do you understand me?"

Sesshoumaru gurgled incomprehensibly.

"Good. Do not speak to me of this again. I will not challenge you to a fight, Sesshoumaru, and until you are man enough to start acting like one, then I will treat you accordingly. Now leave me!"

He released Sesshoumaru's throat and he dropped to the ground, glaring and gasping, but nevertheless he gained his feet and sped away, Westward.

Ryo sighed, and looked back to Izayoi's window. She sat on the ledge, her feet swaying in the moonlight. He walked back toward her.

She smiled sympathetically as he approached. He shook his head.

"That boy has been a handful since Day One," he said, looking behind him.

"I gathered that," she commented, and he raised a questioning brow in her direction.

"You never told me you had a son."

"I've only known you for two days," he reminded her, and she giggled.

"That's right, I keep forgetting, because I feel like I've known you my whole life already."

"Are you afraid of me, Izayoi? Are we moving too fast?"

"No, I am not afraid of you. But I think maybe we are moving too fast; I just can't help myself, though. I think I've fallen in love with you." She reached up to peck him on the chin with her lips.

He grinned, his eyes crinkling as he did so.

"I'm sorry you had to see all that, Izayoi. I'm not usually that rough with him. He's just been trying my patience lately."

"It must be so difficult, raising him on your own."

"It is. He is so independent, yet still so dependent at the same time; it's hard to know when to push them out of the nest, when to draw the line between son and freeloader."

She laughed. "Freeloader?"

He smiled, "Well, you know what I mean. He does his duties, I guess, but I never really know if that's what he's _really_ doing. For all I know, he could be doing what I'm doing now."

"Oh? And what exactly are you doing now?" She held her breath.

"Why, I'm courting you, my Lady." He leaned over her hand and kissed it, and when he looked up at her from under his white bangs, his eyes open and honest, his smile a natural one, not at all practiced, her heart melted, and she pulled him into her arms, wrapping her shapely legs about his waist to keep him there. His arms slid under hers, and she felt his warm hands travel up her back, to knot themselves firmly in her raven hair.

"Ryo," she whispered, and he sucked her neck, inching his way down her chest, leaving a wet, hot trail of saliva in his wake. She threw her head back and bared herself to his perusal, her fingertips massaging his scalp, urging him onward.

He moved the white robe aside, pushing both halves away, to expose her breasts, white and creamy in the moonlight. She gasped quietly as he took one in his mouth, and sucked gently. She tightened her legs about him as he lavished the other with the same attention, then came back to her face and kissed her with all the love he'd wanted to share with one special woman since the death of his beloved wife, Amaya. He hadn't felt passion like this for anyone since her death, and he'd found himself short-tempered and ornery for a long time after she died. He was sure he'd been a pain in the ass to live with, and now Sesshoumaru was acting the same way.

_Maybe all he needs is the love of a good woman_, he thought, before all thoughts turned to pleasing the woman in his arms. Sesshoumaru watched in silence from over the wall, having stopped to see what his Father would do when he thought he was alone.

He had to admit, for a human, the woman was a beautiful one. His Father had excellent taste, he supposed, even if it _was_ humans he was sampling. Sesshoumaru didn't really have anything against humans, except a healthy disgust for their weaknesses, but it was the rumours more than anything that ate away at him, the rumours and the looks that his elders and peers bestowed him upon when they thought he wasn't looking, and the sympathetic ones they favoured him with when he was looking, that made him feel like a leper in his own society.

He watched without seeing as his Father exposed the woman, and took delight in her body. His mind was far away, remembering what little he could about his Mother; he remembered that she and Ryo would smile at him and each other a lot, and they always played with him together, like a happy family should, but all that ended the day she was killed, and his Father had never been the same - until now.

In a way Sesshoumaru was happy for Ryo; he'd found his smile again, but in another, he was insanely jealous. It had seemed so easy for his Father to captivate that human woman's heart; what was he, himself, lacking that he could not achieve the same end, with a demon or human female?

His attention was forcefully brought back to the scene in front of him as he watched his Father pick Izayoi up and take her through the window, and not come back out. In spite of his embarrassing display, he smiled. _Good luck, Father_…

Sesshoumaru turned, and headed back toward the castle. The rumours still burned; they always would, but from now on he would ignore them, and try to remain open-minded. He hoped that one day, he could be as happy as his Father, who was lucky enough to find love not once in his long life, but twice.

Another part of Sesshoumaru wondered if they would marry; would he have a little brother or sister to spar with? He doubted it, but knowing Ryo, one never could tell. His father appeared to genuinely love Izayoi, and he supposed he should pull his act together and not embarrass their family name further by acting like an asshole himself. He felt bad enough for killing the Dragon Lord's son, and he was sure he would receive a duelling notice within the next week, but he put it out of his mind, for he was feeling jovial, odd for him, especially since he had just been severely chastised publicly by his Father. He smiled a little all the way home.

**oOo**

Izayoi awoke, alone. She rolled over and smiled. A red rose lay on the pillow next to her with a note. She opened it, and smiled again.

_Thank you, Izayoi, I'll return for you tonight. Love, Ryo_.

She sighed, and hugged his pillow, which smelled of what she'd learned was his aftershave. She fell back to sleep, breathing in his musky scent.

**oOo**

Well, there's Part One. I'm posting this all in one whack, so there'll be no deds, but I'll mention ya in Every Time We Touch, when I can get it back on track. See ya, and don't forget to review!


	2. Chapter 2

**One Plus One Equals Three**

_Part Two_

Ryo returned to the castle as the sun was rising. Sesshoumaru was waiting for him. He steeled himself to face his son's wrath.

"Good morning Father," he bowed.

Ryo raised a brow suspiciously, but returned the gesture. "Good morning, son."

"Sleep well?" Sesshoumaru grinned; he knew his Father had barely slept at all.

"Very well, and you?"

"Can't complain." He followed Ryo into his study, where maps littered the giant oak desk, and were pinned to the walls all around them.

"Do you have something you wish to discuss?" Ryo almost feared that Sesshoumaru would launch into a tirade about his public display of punishment last night, but was taken aback when Sesshoumaru stated, "Father, I want you to tell me how you obtained her."

Ryo opened his eyes wide. _Was Sesshoumaru asking him to find him a woman?  
_

His mouth dropped open, but no sound came out as Sesshoumaru sat cross-legged on the mat in front of the desk, making himself comfortable, his eyes wide and alert to anything Ryo had to tell him. _This must be what it feels like to teach the bastard_, he thought fleetingly, feeling disconcerted as his son's intense eyes fixated on his every move, taking it all in like the apt pupil his teachers insisted he was, for all his grades proved he was.

Ryo sighed, and laughed. Sesshoumaru frowned.

"Son, I can't just _obtain_ a woman for you," he began, but Sesshoumaru interrupted him.

"No, Father, you don't understand. I do not want _you_ to find me a woman; I want you to teach me how to find one for _myself_."

"I see." Ryo folded his hands behind his back and began to pace around his son, taking in his appearance and attitude, and assessing what improvements should be made. He sniffed him, too.

Sesshoumaru eyed him warily, suddenly not so sure he should have asked his Father about anything to do with love _or _women.

"Well, son," he stared, still pacing, "first things first: you need to bathe, daily."

Sesshoumaru slumped. _He didn't have time for that!_ Although, he guessed he would have to make time.

"Secondly, you need an attitude adjustment. No more acting all high and mighty; you'll find if you act like you give a damn about more than just your own hide, women will flock to you."

Sesshoumaru, albeit a bit miffed about his Father's frank assessment, committed his words to memory.

Lastly, Ryo said, "Stand up."

Doing as his Father asked, Sesshoumaru stood, and managed to keep a straight face under Ryo's intense scrutiny.

He palpated Sesshoumaru's biceps, finding them a tad thin, and his flowered haori, a bit girlish.

Sesshoumaru sighed. He knew what his Father was getting at.

Going to his room, Ryo returned with a new haori and sash for him. The shirt was white, as his old one was, but instead of pink irises decorating the collar, a series of red cherry blossom hexagons were patterned into the fabric. Ryo thought this pattern much more masculine.

"Put these on; it's time for you to be taken seriously as a man, Sesshoumaru. Put this new sash on, too."

Ryo held up Sesshoumaru's breastplate as he took off his old sash and replaced it with the new one, which was navy and gold in colour. He liked it.

Leading him to a mirror, Ryo stood behind Sesshoumaru and asked, "Well? What do you think of your Old Man's handy work?"

Sesshoumaru took in the whole effect; no longer did his haori match his magenta stripes; no more did he look girlish and thin. The sleeves on this haori were not fitted, as his old ones had been, either. They effectively hid the fact that his arms were thin, yet strong. He could lift his Father over his head with one hand, should he ever bother to try. His appearance had once belied his strength, but now, he seemed to radiate it.

He nodded his approval. "I like it very much, Father."

Ryo slapped him on the back. "Good! Now, all you need to do is find yourself a lady and practice on her."

"Any lady? Will the servant girls do?"

"Admirably. Just don't go getting them too attached; they might start fighting over you, and you don't want that."

Sesshoumaru thought that sounded like a good thing. "Why not?"

"Because, if they figure out you're only using them, they will retaliate. Have you ever heard the saying, _Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned?_"

He nodded.

"Well, it's true. Take my word for it."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I see." He left the room to find the nearest female.

Ryo smiled. Sesshoumaru was growing up. He'd taken his punishment last night in stride, and had come to him for advice. If he didn't already know that schemes were beneath Sesshoumaru, he'd think that he was about to be a victim of some horrible prank, but he'd heard the sincerity in his son's voice; he really wanted to learn, so Ryo thought it far from him to hinder his son's progress.

Little did he know that Sesshoumaru was an apter pupil than even Ryo had thought, than even Sesshoumaru himself had thought.

**oOo**

The first woman Sesshoumaru winked at fainted; he walked with a spring in his step that he'd never before experienced. He grinned at the next girl he passed, and she stopped dead, her jaw dropping open. He flicked it closed as he passed, winking, and she, too, fainted on the spot.

He chuckled, smirking. _Casanova leaves many damsels in his wake_, he was thinking as he rounded a corner and walked outside through a pair of double maple doors, their hinges as long as he was tall.

He took to the sky, and without really paying attention to where he was going, wound up at the estate of his father's new lover, the young lady Izayoi.

He saw her in the garden, watching the sky for Ryo, he presumed, and set down silently several yards behind her.

He was about to greet her and apologise for his horrendous behaviour the night before, but a dark-haired man beat him to her.

"Izayoi," the man said, sitting next to her in a rush. Sesshoumaru stayed behind the nearest tree, watching, listening. A small part of him was on alert for anything she might say that would indicate to him that she was playing his Father for a soft-hearted fool, anything that could implicate her in any schemes against his Old Man.

"Oh, it's _you_, Takemaru." He picked up the disappointment in her voice, and gave the young man a scathing look. He had short hair, bound up in a topknot, and he was dressed in army regalia, nothing special. _What a chump_, he thought.

"Izayoi, I want to ask you something; I think you will like what it is."

He heard her breath hitch in her throat. _This guy doesn't know the meaning of the word subtle_, he thought nastily, gagging as he continued to listen to the man's proposal. _Proposal!?  
_

"I'm sorry, Takemaru, I really am," Izayoi responded apologetically, though Sesshoumaru got the feeling she would rather be anywhere else but here.

"But why, Izayoi? Your Father agreed on our match, why do you oppose it? I love you!"

She sighed heavily, and extracted her hands from his.

"Because, Takemaru, I don't love you. I thought you would get the hint when I ignored you yesterday, but I guess you're denser than I thought. I'm sorry, but my answer is no."

She hated to be so harsh, but if that was what it would take to get him off her back, she would do it.  
Sesshoumaru sniffed in disdain. His opinion of this man sank lower than it had been initially.

Takemaru frowned at her; he just wasn't getting through. Then, a thought hit him like a bolt of lightening: _Was she seeing someone else?  
_

"There's someone else, isn't there?" he asked, point blank, and sure enough, her cheeks began to flame.

"Why would you ask something like that?"

"Because I'm right, aren't I?"

Izayoi was starting to get very irritated. _What right did he have to her anyway?_ They weren't married; he had no authority over her at all! The only authority she obeyed was her Father's and…Ryo's. She thought of him, tall, strong, and…hers. She supposed she couldn't begrudge Takemaru his possessiveness, but she certainly didn't have to like it.

"Look, I'm sorry, but you aren't the one!"

He hung his head. "I'm sorry too, Izayoi," he whispered. _Because I'm still going to try to win your affection, whether you change your mind or not.  
_

Standing, he bowed to her respectfully and made his exit. She sighed, finally alone, finally rid of his exhausting presence.

She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and her own hand flew to her heart when Sesshoumaru turned her to look up at him.

"Good Evening, my Lady," he said smoothly, and her brow shot up. _Was this the same kid from yesterday?  
_

He sat beside her, and she smiled, unbelieving. "Sesshoumaru?"

He smiled pleasantly, then winked. She snorted, then laughed outright, holding her sides.

He laughed, too. "What? What'd I do wrong?" he asked.

She took a few breathes, and said, "You're quite the Casanova. Who taught you your moves?"

"I did. Why? Do you have a suggestion?"

She nodded. "I think you shouldn't be so…overconfident."

She was wary of his reaction; last night he'd seemed to hate her, and now, here he was, sitting next to her and chatting her up like an old friend. She decided to play her cards close to her chest, for now.

"Well, it's worked so far. I've made two maids faint, and a third winked back at me before I left Father's castle."

She nodded. "I see. What made you decide to brush up on your womanizing skills?"

Before he could control himself, he'd blurted, "You."

Her eyes widened a fraction.

"Me?"

Figuring he'd already gone this far, he plunged ahead. He nodded in the affirmative.

"Oh." The word was drawn out over several seconds, as if she couldn't believe what'd she'd just heard. She looked up at him, and instantly regretted it. His eyes…so much like Ryo's, but altogether different, and all his own; gold, but a shade so light that his irises almost appeared iridescent in the fading sunlight.

Suddenly Izayoi had a bad feeling. _Was Sesshoumaru in love with her?_ She crossed her fingers, hoping her suspicions were unfounded.

"Lady," he whispered, leaning in close to her, and she leaned back, putting a hand to his chest.

"Please, call me Izayoi," she said in a rushed tone. He was almost scaring her with his boldness.

He seemed to back off then, realising what he was doing, and shaking his shoulders, regained his composure.

He was about to ask her advice about his bad come-ons when someone came striding down the path behind them, and Sesshoumaru ducked just as a sword was thrust through the air, nearly taking his head off, and catching a strand of his silver hair, severing it from his head.

"Demon, you have drawn your last breath!" Takemaru shouted, and continued to pursue Sesshoumaru around the fountain, swinging crazily at his person, and nicking his forearm.

Sesshoumaru growled a warning, but Takemaru kept advancing, and soon Sesshoumaru had to do something or he would end up losing an arm.

As Takemaru swung the sword, the momentum carried it far behind him, and, using his demonic speed inherited from his Father, Sesshoumaru rushed in and grabbed the man in a choke hold so hard that he almost crushed his throat.

"No, Sesshoumaru, don't kill him!" Izayoi shouted, and her Father came running from across the garden, shouting her name.

When he saw what was going on, her Father yelled, "Takemaru, what is the meaning of this? Why do you challenge this demon?"

Sesshoumaru eased his hold on Takemaru's throat just enough to allow him to speak.

"I was defending your daughter, my Lord."

"My daughter?" He turned to face Izayoi. "What were you doing with this demon, Izayoi?"

She panicked; her Father hated demons, and had always forbade her to go anywhere near them.

She dreaded what he would do to her when he found out that she'd taken a demon as her lover.

She had to think fast. _What could she tell her Father that would get everyone out of this mess with their heads still intact?  
_

He shook her. "Well?" he demanded.

She blurted the first lie that came to mind.

"I-"

"She looked tasty, so I decided to stop for a bite," Sesshoumaru interrupted her, and threw Takemaru to the ground, gasping for air.

"Fortunately for her, this man intervened. I am forced to find my dinner elsewhere." And with those last words, he took to the sky, disappearing over the wall from whence he came.

"Is that true, Izayoi?" her Father bore into her eyes, and for the first time in her life, she lied to his face, without a second thought.

"Yes."

Takemaru frowned. _Why did she lie? Who was she protecting?_ He was about to contradict her when an evil idea popped into his head: he could use this information against her as leverage. If that demon returned, he could get her to do anything he wanted - even marry him - as long as he could hold her secret over her head. He wondered if that demon had been the one she'd been seeing.

When he had happened upon them, the demon hadn't been trying to eat her; no, he'd been trying to kiss her, and she had been _laughing_!

_What was she up to?  
_

He'd have to find out.

Izayoi's Father was hugging her. "Oh, my baby," he was saying over and over, stroking her hair, "I'm so glad Takemaru was here to save you."

She glared in Takemaru's direction, and said, "Yes, Father, so am I."

He smiled at her, a smile that could only mean one thing: he'd figured it out, and now had leverage that could be used against her, should her Father get wind of it. Her glare slowly turned into a smile, a smile comprised of hate. _Damn you, Takemaru_…

**oOo**

Sesshoumaru waited until Izayoi's Father left, leaving her and Takemaru alone. She sat down, and he stood before her, a smug smile on his face. Sesshoumaru crept closer, in order to hear his words better.

"He's the one, isn't he?" She didn't answer, she only glared up at him.

He rubbed his hands together happily. "You know what this means, don't you, _my Lady_," he said condescendingly, and she flinched, yet maintained her glare.

"I don't care what you tell him," she gritted, referring to her Father, "I'll never consent to marrying you!"

He put a hand to his heart, and made a face, mock-wounded, and said, "Now, Izayoi, what are you accusing me of? You're a whore now, and I could never marry a whore; it would be disgraceful. However, I'll keep your secret, _for a price_. You know as well as I that he will kill you, only child or not, if he finds out about your little secret. Would you rather die than be with me?"

She spat at his feet, anger making her rash. "I'd rather die a thousand deaths than lay with you for one night!"

_Amen_, Sesshoumaru thought.

He slapped her; the sound echoed off the garden walls. Sesshoumaru flinched; Izayoi's face was an angry red.

"You listen to me, you little slut. I know you've been whoring around with that dirty demon, don't bother to deny it. All I'm asking for is a little of what he's getting, that's all. Think you can handle that?"

She trembled. _What could she do?_ Tears began to leak from her eyes.

Bringing her knees up to her chest, she began to rock back and forth, unbelieving that this was happening to her.

Sesshoumaru had had enough of this idiot's blackmail. He rushed forward again, once again face to face with the asshole called Takemaru, then darting away again, to confuse him.

Takemaru drew his sword once again and grabbed Izayoi's hand, yanking her up. Vainly she tried to get away, but he brought the sword to her throat and pressed it dangerously close to her jugular vein. She ceased struggling.

Sesshoumaru came to a halt three feet before the pair, Izayoi's tears making his heart clench. He realised with sudden clarity that he understood why his Father loved her; he himself was beginning to feel the same emotions for the crying , helpless girl before him. Something deep within him demanded that he protect her, and all other thoughts fled as his eyes bled crimson.

"Release her," he growled, his voice grating like sandpaper.

"Or what? You'll kill me? Not without taking her down with me, you won't." She cried out as the sharp edge of the blade bit into her skin, nicking the tendon in her throat.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru returned to normal. He smiled, and chuckled; quietly at first, then louder and louder, until he was laughing.

Takemaru frowned. "What's so funny, filthy demon?" he demanded.

Izayoi, too, frowned. _What was going on?  
_

Sesshoumaru crossed his arms smugly, and leaning forward, said, "Goodnight, _human_."

Takemaru snorted, but got no further than that, for a large rock came down on his head, rendering him unconscious. Izayoi jumped away, and backed right into a pair of strong, familiar arms, and turning to bury her face in his chest, cried, "Oh, Ryo! Thank the Gods for you!"

Sesshoumaru looked away as his Father kissed her fears away; _one day it would be him she was kissing, not his Father_. One day soon, when he was ready, he planned to challenge his Old Man, and it was a fight he was not prepared to lose. _One day_, he promised himself, _Izayoi will be mine_.

For now, he kept his thoughts to himself, and pretended indifference to their gross display of affection for one another.

Releasing her, Ryo kept one arm about her shoulders as he looked at Sesshoumaru.

"Thank you, son." He wondered what Sesshoumaru had been doing there, but decided to avoid another public confrontation and not ask; he was sure that if it was important Izayoi would tell him about it.

Sesshoumaru nodded. He could almost read his Father's thoughts, and they were very suspicious in nature. He knew Izayoi would not lie to Ryo if he asked her what Sesshoumaru had been doing there, but he decided that that time would be as good as any to set Ryo on edge; it would prepare him for the challenge he knew wouldn't be long in coming. Sesshoumaru thought there was no harm in getting a head start in a relationship with the woman that would one day soon be his own. That is, if Ryo claimed her. If he went ahead and mated her, well…he didn't like the thought of his Father getting her pregnant, as he had yesterday, but if he could issue his challenge before that happened, he would snatch her up in a second.

Taking Takemaru by the foot, Ryo slung him into the pond, effectively waking him. All three walked away as the human regained himself, and Ryo and Sesshoumaru bid Izayoi farewell when they had seen her safely to her apartment, where she would be guarded.

Taking to the sky, Father and Son flew home, while Takemaru watched with burning hatred. He would kill those two, if it was the last thing he did.

**oOo**

Ryo returned that night, followed by Sesshoumaru, though he was unaware of his son tagging along behind him.

He went straight to Izayoi's window and, glancing around to make sure no one was watching, slipped inside.

Two hours later, when he left, Sesshoumaru crept up to her window. Taking a risk, he too slipped inside, landing right next to Izayoi's bed.

In the inky darkness, he heard her whisper, "Miss me already?" and throw back the blanket. He knew she thought he was Ryo; unable to bring himself to set her straight and ruin this perfect opportunity she was offering, he chuckled like he thought his Father would and removed his armour, and his clothing.

Crawling into bed beside her, he revelled in the feel of her hands all over his body, as if he belonged to her. She licked his neck and, feeling his loose hair, commented, "Let it all down, huh? I guess I yanked too hard last time. I like it down."

His heart had stopped when she'd said that; _did she know?_ He decided that she didn't when she continued to murmur his Father's name in his ear, and run her nails down his back. She opened her legs for him, and brought his face to her own as she devoured his lips in a passionate kiss.

She thought that Ryo was a bit passive this time; a while ago he had been all business, taking control of their speed and leading her in their love making, but now he appeared to want her to take the reins, so she did. She thought it odd, for he'd never done that before, but she was so worn out, that she didn't think another thought about it.

Izayoi grabbed him, and he gasped in her mouth as she squeezed, and ran her fingers over him, then nestled him at the entrance to her body, between her spread legs.

He worried the entire time that she would find him out, but he made love to her for the rest of the night without another word from her. Oh, she moaned her fare share, as did he, for he had never spent such a great night, but when she fell asleep, and dawn came, he hightailed it out of there.

He sped home, hoping to get there and be in bed before his Father noticed his absence, and if he had, Sesshoumaru ran through excuses he could use frantically in his mind. He wanted to take Ryo on, true; but he wasn't ready yet, and a premature fight would surely end in his death, something to be avoided at all costs.

When he arrived at the castle, his Father was in his study, or so a servant told him. He had to pass the study to get to his room, but he couldn't risk his Father smelling Izayoi on him; he went outside, and flew to his room, coming in through his balcony doors, and headed straight for the baths.

When he came out, Ryo was going in; he wore nothing, but he carried a towel.

Normally, this wouldn't bother Sesshoumaru, but now he found himself mentally comparing his body to his Father's, whose large biceps and prominent abs put his own to shame.

"Morning, Sesshoumaru," Ryo greeted on his way past, noticing nothing out of the ordinary.

"Morning, Father," Sesshoumaru mumbled, and picked up his pace. He hadn't anticipated the awkwardness he would feel when he spoke to Ryo; he supposed though, that screwing his Father's lover behind his back would cause those feelings to arise.

Suddenly, he felt bad, and an overwhelming urge to confess swept over him. He squelched it immediately, and returning to his room, fell back against the door, and slid to the floor, his hand covering his mouth.

_Could he do this? Could he pull off these clandestine meetings?_ On one hand he felt cheated, for she would never know it was he who made love to her, for her senses were shot in the darkness of night, and she kept whispering Ryo's name. On the other, he enjoyed her company very much; was he willing to put his own feelings aside and continue to share her bed, just because he'd gotten away with it once, and likely would again? _Could he continue to fool her into thinking he was Ryo?_ He didn't know, but if his Father didn't go to her tonight, he knew that he would, and this time, he would fix his hair in a topknot.

He would not be caught unprepared again.

**oOo**

Two months passed. Sesshoumaru continued to visit Izayoi's bed, and occasionally visited her in the light of day. Ryo knew about these meetings, of course, but assumed that Izayoi and his son had developed a close friendship, for neither had indicated that it would go any further than that.

Sesshoumaru, however, was finding it harder and harder to keep his clandestine affairs with her spread out; if it were up to him, he'd go to her every night, but knew this was not possible, not if he wanted to continue sleeping with her at all.

Izayoi, herself, had nothing to complain about, though she often wondered if Ryo was moody when he came to her; sometimes he was no nonsense, a perfect lover, while others he seemed to her to be unsure, urging her to assume the dominant role, but after a while, he was always dominant. She didn't mind, she just thought it odd, but she kept her thoughts to herself. She didn't want to embarrass him by hinting that he was having problems in bed, so she kept her mouth shut.

At the end of the two months, she had wonderful news for Ryo; she was pregnant! She decided to surprise him when he came next, which happened to be the night she found out, only it wasn't Ryo who came - it was Sesshoumaru.

When she felt him crawl under the sheets beside her, Izayoi took his face in her hands and ran a thumb over his nose, whispering, "You'll never guess what I have to tell you, darling."

Effecting a deeper baritone, to match his Father's, Sesshoumaru replied, "And what is that?"

She giggled, then placed his hand on her slightly rounded tummy, which not long before had been perfectly flat. "I'm pregnant!"

He almost choked out loud. _Pregnant? Fuck!! This wasn't supposed to happen!!  
_

He forced himself to smile. "That's wonderful," he said, and ravished her more than usual; he thought that she probably expected it; he was supposed to be ecstatic, remember. Izayoi was having his baby - or his Father's. That was the problem. _Whose would it be?  
_

The rest of the night, as he made love to her, his mind was elsewhere, worrying about the possibility that the child could be his. He knew that hanyou children usually took on some trait of their demon parent, and any child he produced would have obvious markings that Ryo's hanyou child would not. However, he realised that this game he was playing would not last much longer; if he'd heard correctly, a woman carrying a hanyou would be full term in five months. He asked her then, "How far along do you think you are, sweetheart?"

She laughed, and stroked his hip. "Oh, about a month and a half, maybe two. I'm so excited! I hope it has your eyes."

"I hope it has your smile," he responded automatically, for his mind was in a turmoil. For a moment, he thought he might be saved; if she was about two months along, for sure the child was not his. But, since she wasn't sure, his stomach flipped over in his gut. The chances that the child was his and not his Father's was even; it could be either of theirs. They wouldn't know until the child was born._ Fuck!!  
_

Sesshoumaru didn't know if he could take the strain.

**oOo**

On his way home, Sesshoumaru's mind was working overtime. She had told him her news first, that meant that he could not tell anyone, yet. He thought fast. If he went to visit her tomorrow morning, before Ryo could_…yes, that would work!_ She would surely tell him then, and when he saw his Father next, he would tell him the news, hoping to whatever Gods were watching that Izayoi wouldn't bring up the fact that she'd told him in bed, when in fact it had been Sesshoumaru she'd told.

He began to worry. A lot. His Father couldn't find out yet, _he mustn't_! Sesshoumaru would have to do some really fancy footwork here if he was going to save his own ass.

He planned meticulously all the way into his bath, which he couldn't even enjoy, he was so worried. In the back of his mind, a resentful little voice was telling him to go ahead and tell his Father, show him up! It urged him to come clean with Izayoi, too, confident that when she knew she had slept with him, and enjoyed it, she would grow to love him, as soon as he could push his Father out of the picture, for he knew she found him attractive; she had told him so, once. His rational mind kept squashing this tiny voice, but as the weeks had passed, it had become more difficult to silence; before long, it had taken over his rational mind, and all he could think about in his spare time was challenging Ryo and taking over the Lands, and everything that came with it, which included Izayoi.

He would shake his head in these moments of weakness and concentrate on something else, but even now, as he sat soaking, and worrying, that little voice was screaming in his head. Fed up, he squashed it hard, vowing that he would not let it take over his mind again. His efforts paid off, and the little voice faded away.

**oOo**

End Part Two! Whew! Hope you like! Prepare for the Triangle of Love to hit some bumps ahead! Don't forget to review!


	3. Chapter 3

**One Plus One Equals Three**

_Part Three_

Ryo sat in his study, going over his maps. The Dragon Lord of the East, Ryuukotsusei, had mobilized to the South and the Southern Lord's clan was in dire need of reinforcements, and he had no choice but to lead his army over there. He was a close friend of the Southern Lord, and would not leave him helpless in a situation such as this one.

Idly, Ryo wondered if this wasn't some sort of elaborate scheme to draw he and Sesshoumaru down there; Sesshoumaru had killed Ryuukotsusei's son, after all. The boy had always been a smartass, and had more than likely deserved what he'd gotten, but Ryuukotsusei was a vengeful Dragon; he would not let it go, not without exacting his revenge, and restoring his own honour. If he mobilized against anyone, it should be them, but he hadn't, and this made Ryo cautious. _What was that old bastard planning?_

**oOo**

Sesshoumaru was in his room, sitting on his bed, staring into space. He rethought his plan, and had realised that it would not work, and that there was nothing he could do, except feign ignorance.

That was his only card to play, besides the Truth card, and it worried him that it may not be good enough.

There was a knock on his door, and he was so tense, he fell off the bed.

Jumping up, he said, "Come in."

Ryo came in, and closed the door behind him, a grim look on his handsome face.

_Oh, fuck_, Sesshoumaru thought, _here we go. He's gonna rip me to shreds_…

Ryo sighed, heavily, and put a hand on Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "Listen, son, I need you to come with me to battle."

Sesshoumaru blinked. _Battle? He'd been saved!  
_

"Battle? Against whom?"

"Ryuukotsusei." As he'd thought, all the colour drained from Sesshoumaru's already-pale face. He swallowed.

"I know, and I think there is a method to his madness, for he has not attacked us, but the South, whom we are allies with. Lord Hikaru has sent runners to ask my assistance, and it will take both of us working together to help our armies defeat him. I believe, Sesshoumaru, that you are the reason for his mobilization against the South."

Sesshoumaru nodded. He remembered now that he'd killed that loudmouth, Ryuu…_stupid son of a bitch_.

"When do we depart?"

"As soon as possible. I wanted to bid Izayoi farewell before we left, though."

Sesshoumaru panicked. _He couldn't let them see each other!  
_

"You're busy, Father; let _me _deliver the message."

Ryo smiled. "You two are quite close, no?"

Sesshoumaru pasted on what he hoped was a believable smile. "She is like another Mother to me." _A Mother with benefits_, his mind added, despite his better judgement.

Ryo laughed. "That is good; I am delighted that you have taken to her so well. She is a delight to be with, is she not? I miss her already." Sighing, his Father stood.

"Very well; I will send you to tell her. Return to me quickly, though. We have much to do before we leave."

"Yes, Father," he replied, and when Ryo had left, he flopped back on his bed. _Crisis averted!  
_He dressed and left the castle, hastily.

**oOo**

Izayoi was laying in bed, happy. Ryo had not stayed the entire night again, but no matter. She would see him soon enough, and she smiled at the thought of telling Sesshoumaru her good news, completely unaware that he already knew.

After her bath, she dressed and went outside, a book in hand. She spied the fountain, and for some reason, Takemaru came to mind, and she about-faced, returning to her room. She did not wish to think of that day. She had only seen him once since Ryo and Sesshoumaru had saved her from him, and that had been in the Market, a public place where he could not approach her. Though if he had decided to, she doubted anyone would heed her cries for help.

Ever since that fateful day two months ago, she had become a leper among her peers; no one would associate with her, and no one came to call on her to chat over tea. Even her female friends had abandoned her, all because Takemaru had opened his big mouth and apparently told the entire district that she had a demon for a lover.

Consequently, she had been cast out, and ostracized; her growing belly did nothing to help matters, either. The rumours, looks, stares, and comments only seemed to get worse, and she had more and more trouble keeping her own comments to herself as time went by. Lately she was inclined to be snappy; and she had begun to wear baggier robes, and avoid her Father. Luckily, he still seemed to be ignorant of all the rumours, but she knew that sooner or later, he would hear.

A loud bang came from the shoji at the entrance to her apartments. Heavy footsteps came her way.

Apparently he'd just heard. She braced herself.

Her bedroom shoji flew open, and her Father, red-faced, stomped over to where she was sitting, her handmaids brushing the tangles from her long black hair (the handmaids being the only women who would still speak to her), and ordered everyone save her from the room.

She glimpsed Takemaru's smug face as the maids left, closing the doors behind them, shutting his terrible expression out.

Her Father yelled, "Is what Takemaru tells me true? Are you sleeping with a demon? Answer me!"

Izayoi's eyes became moist; _this was it, this was the end_. Her Father was going to kick her out, and disown her. She wished Ryo or Sesshoumaru were here.

She nodded, unable to hide it from him any longer. "Yes."

He slapped her, hard. She took it, and didn't utter a sound when he slapped her again, and a third time. "You dishonour the name of this family," he shouted, his own tears wetting his wrinkled cheeks.

"Leave this place, and do not return. You are no longer my daughter."

Upon hearing these dreaded words, Izayoi cried, loudly, but nodded her head. She quickly controlled her sobs, and began to pack her necessary things. Her Father watched, crying his own tears silently.

When she was done, he opened the shoji for her, and she walked out, her head high, but her cheeks chapped and red.

Takemaru snickered as she passed, and whispered, "How does it feel, _my Lady_?"

"Fuck you," she whispered back without stopping, and passed him, heading toward the back garden gate. She hoped Ryo or Sesshoumaru planned to visit her today; though she dreaded to have to ask them to help her in finding a new place to stay.

She closed the gate behind her, and had just decided to go West when Sesshoumaru landed before her.

"Izayoi? What are you doing outside your castle walls?"

She sniffed; it was so hard to talk about.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru!" she cried, and the tears came flowing once again, and she was powerless to stop them this time. He held her close, thinking: _Finally! I can hold you in the light of day, and not be ashamed, for it is me you have chosen to share your sorrow with, and me alone!  
_

He conveniently overlooked the fact that he was the only person around. She shook in his arms, and when her sobs subsided, he asked her again, "What's wrong?"

She sniffed. "He knows, Sesshoumaru. Takemaru, that bastard, told him."

"Who?"

"My Father! Who else? I didn't tell him about the baby, good thing too, or he might have- oh, by the way, I'm pregnant."

He smiled; _better at least pretend to be surprised_.

"Congratulations," he said, wiping a tear from her nose. She smiled. "Thanks. Ryo was so happy when I told him."

_Yeah, about that_…

"Anyway," she went on, "Father has disowned me, and now I have no place to go."

Sesshoumaru absorbed this news thoughtfully. _Yes, that would work nicely_…

Taking her by the shoulders, he looked down into her tear-stained, upturned face. "Listen, I know a place where you can stay. Father has a Summer House not too far from here; it's fully staffed, and has everything you could possibly need. You can stay there until we return for you."

She smiled; _thank God for them!  
_

"Wait…where are you going?" The thought of them leaving her for any amount of time made her panic. _What if they were not around when the baby came?  
_

Sesshoumaru sighed, as if he carried a great burden - which, in fact, he carried several ever since meeting her, but they were beside the point - and replied, "Father and I have been summoned to a War, which I started and now have to finish."

"A War? Good God, what did you do?"

He gave her a wintry smile. "I killed a rival Lord's son. He insulted me."

She sniffled. "Remind me never to get on your bad side," and he smiled.

"I would never harm you, Izayoi. You know that, don't you?"

Her heart melted at the look of hopefulness in his molten eyes._ How could she not believe him? He was so sweet!  
_

She suddenly felt her stomach muscles clench, and the inner ones, too. Her blood began to warm; she began to feel lust again, this time for him. She tried to hide it.

Sesshoumaru noticed the look in Izayoi's eyes, and then, like a brick wall, a scent assaulted his sensitive nose: she was aroused. And by _him_! His heart skipped a beat.

He leaned into her, and she met him halfway. Her lips, so soft, melded against his, and he took control, deepening the kiss and pulling her arms to wrap around him, while he placed his own at the back of her head, holding her steady.

She became lost in him, and forgot all her problems; only she and Sesshoumaru existed now, and somehow, his embrace seemed so familiar, his scent just a shade different from Ryo's, more…earthy…_oh God, Ryo!  
_

Suddenly her eyes shot open, and she pulled away, and he stumbled, almost pushing her to the ground, but she put both hands up to brace him.

"Oh my God!" she covered her face with those hands. _What had she done?_ She realised now why he felt so familiar…it had been _him_ coming to her bed all this time, not just Ryo! Another thought struck her; _what if this baby isn't Ryo's? Oh, we are in so much trouble_…she swooned.

Sesshoumaru caught her, and eased her into his lap. She'd figured it out, she had to have. There was no other reason for such a reaction to him, and his worry from before came rushing back.

Like Izayoi, he realised that if Ryo found them out, he would, in a jealous rage, likely kill them both, worst case scenario. Best case scenario…Sesshoumaru had no idea. He might let them live, after several years of exquisite torture…suddenly death sounded like a much better option.

It was then that he remembered the War. If they were gone long enough, she would have the child before their return, postponing, for a while at least, Ryo's finding out the truth. And, if luck were on their side, and the child turned out to be Ryo's, neither of them would have to say a thing! It was perfect!

Unfortunately, it all depended on a factor neither of them could control - whether or not the child would be Ryo's. Sesshoumaru prayed to the Gods, for the first time in his life, for them to show him mercy and give him a little brother or sister, and not a son or daughter.

Picking up Izayoi's things, he carried them, and her, to her new home, all the while praying as if his life depended on it - which, ironically, it did.

**oOo**

When he reached the Summer House, he settled her in and put her things away, and when he came back, she was sitting bolt upright, her hand to her mouth, crying. He rushed over, and sat next to her, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"It's okay, I've got a plan, but it'll only work if the kid is Father's. I'll keep us away until after it's born, and you send me a personal message with whose it is when it comes, and if it's his, we'll come back and neither of us will have to say a thing. And if it's mine…" here he paused, and she looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes.

"If it's mine…drown it."

Her eyes went wide. "No way in _Hell_ would I drown a child, Sesshoumaru, especially yours! You and your Father are everything to me, a new family, since I no longer belong with my own, and I am forever grateful to you for taking me in. My answer is no; we'll have to think of another way to hide the child, because I cannot kill a helpless being."

He frowned. Then what would they do if it turned out to be _his_ baby?

"Look, your first plan was a good one, and even though I feel terrible about keeping anything from Ryo at all-"

"As do I."

"-I cannot condone the drowning of my own baby. I will not do it; I refuse."

He sighed.

So did she.

"Oh, Sesshoumaru, what have we done?" she wailed.

He looked at her. Not once did she blame him for this, even though it was all his fault. If he hadn't impersonated his Father in her bed…they wouldn't be here right now. _Well, maybe we would, but the child would definitely be Father's, and I wouldn't be having a stroke!_ he thought.

"Well, let's just go along with it, and if it turns out okay, send for me. Do you want me to tell him you're pregnant when I go home?"

She thought about it, for a long time. Finally she said, "Yeah, you'd better. Unless..."

Her mind seemed to be working again; he could almost see the wheels turning in her head.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that if he doesn't know, I can send for you when it's born, and if it's his, it'll be a surprise, and if it's yours, well…couldn't we pass it off as his? I mean, you came from him, wouldn't the child have some similarities to you?"

He shook his head. "All my physical traits come from my Mother. The only thing I got that Father has are his eye colour and his hair colour. That's it."

She mentally pictured a child with magenta stripes and a crescent moon and thought, _Now that would be kinda obvious_.

"We can expect the child to have white hair, that's a gimme," he said, stroking his chin in thought.

"Even though my hair is black?"

"When the child goes through his period of change, which is once a month, or so I recall, his hair will be black then, for he will be completely human. I can't say when that will happen during the month, though."

"Oh."

An uncomfortable silence stretched out between them.

"Okay, well, I'll try to think of something, so, you two go, but you better come back to me alive, you hear?"

He smiled tenderly at her, and she smiled back. She squeezed his hand, and he rose to leave her.

"If you need us, just send a runner. Though…I wouldn't, not for a while." He glanced at her belly.

She grinned.

"Only if it's a dire emergency will you hear from me," she promised, and he nodded.

"Goodbye, Sesshoumaru."

He turned to say goodbye, but a surge of emotion so strong compelled him to run back to her, and crush her in a huge hug, which she laughingly accepted, hugging him back and crying tears of sorrow, fear, and despair.

Letting her go, he whispered, "We _will_ come back."

She nodded, and gave him a little push. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru…for everything."

He smiled; _was she forgiving him for his terrible actions?_ He hoped so.

Waving, he flew West, back home to Ryo, while Izayoi watched, tearfully, waving her small hand long after he was out of sight.

**oOo**

Three months passed. Ryo and Sesshoumaru were minutes away from getting to Ryuukotsusei; it had taken this long just to make headway through his armies. Their own army was depleted, but the Dragon Lord was within sight. Ryo slashed Sou'unga at a Dragon foot soldier, severing his arm, and Sesshoumaru was wiping the blood and sweat from his face, his own soldier finally dead at his feet. A runner came up to him, huffing. He said three words:

"It is time."

Sesshoumaru nodded, too tired to expend the air to thank the messenger. He touched Ryo's shoulder.

"Father, Izayoi is having the baby," he huffed.

"Excellent!" Ryo yelled, as another soldier rushed him, and he killed him in one swing. His father had been ecstatic when Sesshoumaru had returned to tell him of Izayoi's pregnancy. He had also told Sesshoumaru that he'd done the right thing to put her in the Summer House; now they would no longer have to sneak in to see her.

"We will leave, right after we finish this. You won't get away, you fire-breathing bastard!" Holding Sou'unga high, he charged, right into what was left of Ryuukotsusei's army, and shouted, "Dragon Twister!"

Sesshoumaru nodded, but the messenger came back.

"She said it was urgent, Master; Takemaru has surrounded the Summer House, and I think he's going to kill her."

Sesshoumaru nodded again tightly; _he'd have to make this quick_. The messenger departed.

He ran after his Father, but when Ryo finally got through to Ryukotsusei, and the two of them went at it, Ryo transforming into his demon form, another, probably Ryuukotsusei's last, contingent came after him, and Sesshoumaru had no choice but to take care of them, and defend Ryo's back.

Sesshoumaru watched intermittently as Ryo fought Ryuukotsusei; he brought out a large fang, his new, third sword, which he had been telling Sesshoumaru about since they left for this War, and swung it at the Dragon, yelling, "Wind Scar!"

All stopped fighting momentarily to see what would happen; _would the blow kill the Dragon Lord?_

When the dust blew away, Ryuukotsusei was swaying, but still he stood, unharmed. Ryo growled, shaking the ground around him, and with one mighty swing, lodged his claws into the Dragon's chest, pinning him the rock wall looming up behind him.

Ryuukotsusei screamed, and his eyes closed; Ryo bled heavily from a large chest wound, and his arm was sliced to ribbons, but already his body was trying to heal itself.

The Dragon was rendered dormant, and Sesshoumaru took care of the last of the Dragon army, slicing them to pieces with his Poison Whip.

Ryo came over to Sesshoumaru, and smacked him on the shoulder. "Well, son, we've won your first War. How does it feel to be a survivor?"

Sesshoumaru looked around him at the carnage, and, now that he had a chance to really see it, and the adrenaline was no longer keeping him going, fighting for his life, he felt bile crawl up the back of his throat at the sight of all the dead demons, demons he'd once known, demons who'd fought next to him - for him.

Ryo saw his hesitation and said solemnly, "It feels awful, doesn't it? The worse thing, son, is not feeling the hurt anymore. When you become immune to it all, that's the worst pain."

Sesshoumaru nodded, but kept a level head. His gut was hurting, alright - but not just because he wanted to throw up. All the death around him made him realise how precious life was, and the urge to tell his Father the truth came flooding over him, and, before he could clamp a hand over his mouth, he blurted, "The child might not be yours, Father!"

Ryo turned to look at him, his eyes narrowed.

"What do you mean by that?" His gut sunk. _Had Sesshoumaru done something, or did he know something about Izayoi that Ryo did not?_

Sesshoumaru covered his face with his bangs, hiding his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Father, but I…impersonated you and slept with Izayoi…I'm sorry…I couldn't help myself…I love her!"

Ryo began to see red. _How could he? His own flesh and blood! How could he do this, and to his own Father!  
_

"You fucking bastard!" Ryo exploded, and punched Sesshoumaru in the face. Sesshoumaru stumbled back, but made no move to defend himself. He would sit here and let his Father kill him, as long as Izayoi remained safe.

He remembered then what the messenger had told him - that Izayoi was in danger.

Ryo was heaving, his anger extreme. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself? Hmm?"

Sesshoumaru looked up. _Was his Father giving him a chance to defend himself?  
_

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru was seeing himself from his Father's point of view - he had believed that Sesshoumaru was incapable of doing something so low, but his Father didn't seem to realise that he, Sesshoumaru, had also fallen in love with Izayoi. Didn't _his_ feelings matter? Why should his Father get to keep her? He'd already had one woman to love, and Sesshoumaru had had none!_ It wasn't fair!  
_

Sesshoumaru's teenage mind bleated this loudly in his head; _he had a right to her, too, God damn it! Why was Ryo entitled to her, just because he'd seen her first?_ Sesshoumaru began to see red.

"_I'm_ a fucking bastard? Look at yourself, Father! Are you jealous because you've been sharing your woman with your son, or that she enjoyed it?"

Ryo narrowed his eyes. Sesshoumaru grinned; _now he was getting somewhere!_

The rebelliousness that Ryo had thought had disappeared from the boy when he met Izayoi came roaring up to the surface, making Sesshoumaru say things he really ought not to.

"She is _mine_, and you _knew_ that! Don't give me that fucking, 'I fell in love with her' excuse, Sesshoumaru! You _knew_ what you were doing was wrong, and you kept it from me all this time? Now I find out that my woman's child might not even be mine…do you know what I want to do to you right now!"

Ryo's voice shook with more anger than Sesshoumaru had ever heard from him before.

"Then fight me," Sesshoumaru growled, opening his arms. "Right here, right now! Fight me for her! May the best man win!"

Ryo glared at his son. Never in his centuries of life did he believe that something like this would happen to him. And Izayoi…_was she innocent in all this? Or did she have a stake in it, too?  
_

Ryo said, "Before you try to make me kill you, Sesshoumaru, tell me this: does she know what I know?"

Sesshoumaru blinked. "She does," he hedged, then continued after a pause, "but she didn't know when it was happening. She is innocent. She had nothing to do with it, except, well…_you_ know."

Ryo drew back his lip over his teeth, exposing his fangs. Then, he realised what he was contemplating. He shook his head; he would not give Sesshoumaru the satisfaction, no matter how much he wanted to strangle him, ring his neck, kill him - right now.

Sesshoumaru thought his Father was turning the other cheek, and he was right. He glared at Ryo's back, and yelled, "She's having the baby now. Takemaru's there, and he's going to kill her. I will be the one who saves her, Father!"

Ryo did not turn to face him.

"No, you won't."

Sesshoumaru guffawed. "No? What do you mean, _No?_ I love her, Father! She belongs to me!"

Ryo shook his head, Sesshoumaru didn't get it. Suddenly he felt sorry for his son, very sorry indeed.

"Sesshoumaru," Ryo said slowly, "Did she ever tell you that she loved you? I mean, when she knew it was _you_ she was speaking to, and not me?"

Sesshoumaru closed his mouth. _Fuck!_ His Father had him there, he was right. She'd never told him that she loved _him_, Sesshoumaru.

Ryo waited patiently for his son to answer.

Finally, he gritted, "No."

Ryo nodded. "I see. Do you know what she says to me every time I leave her, Sesshoumaru? She tells me she loves _me_. Now that you know that, who do you think should have her? Hmm? Who is she happiest with? _Who does she love_?"

Sesshoumaru growled in defeat. As much as he hated to admit it, Ryo was right.

Unfortunately, this did not sit well with him. His resentment toward his Father, which had been slowly festering every time he witnessed Ryo kiss Izayoi, flared into being, and his heart turned to stone. He smiled no more, and would not smile again for a long time. He had lost the battle; not the physical battle, of course, but the verbal battle, the important battle. His Father was once again victorious, and Sesshoumaru had to step down. He hated the feeling of losing, hated it with a passion. Suddenly, he hated everyone, his Father and Izayoi most of all. He hated his Father for winning her, and he hated her for not choosing him. His tone was cold and detached when he spoke again.

"Do you insist on going, then?"

Ryo flinched inwardly; all ties to his son, all the happiness they'd once shared, was gone. In his son's place stood a hard man, a man who'd lost in the game of love and resented everyone who'd stood in his way.

"Do you intend to stop me, Sesshoumaru?"

"I will not stand in your way." He decided to demand the swords; it was the least his Father could do, after having embarrassed and annihilated him so badly. He neglected to think about the fact that this entire situation was his own fault to begin with.

"However, before you go, I insist that you entrust Sou-unga and Tetsusaiga to me."

Ryo sighed. He would have given him the swords, but he had no experience - and he was still angry with him. This _was_ all his fault, after all.

"And if I refuse? Will you kill me, your own Father?"

He sighed, heavily.

"Do you desire power so much?"

He sighed again. Sesshoumaru was silent. If he could not have Izayoi, then he wanted the swords, for he knew for certain that he would never speak to his Father again.

He would get neither.

"Why do you seek power, my son?"

Sesshoumaru could only think of one answer; the only option open to him now.

"The path I walk is that of Supreme Conquest. It is power that will reveal the way for me."

Ryo almost laughed. _So, he was going to take the solitary road?_ He thought that was fine. If Izayoi was in danger, as he'd said she was, he would probably not survive another attack from an army, to get to her. Tensaiga pulsed; her time drew near. He waited a little longer. Sesshoumaru obviously planned to never speak to him again. This made him sad, even though he seethed with anger at what Sesshoumaru had done. Still, he had been his only family for three hundred years.

He chuckled at Sesshoumaru's idea.

"Supreme Conquest." He made it sound silly, even to Sesshoumaru's ears.

"Tell me, Sesshoumaru…do you have someone to protect?"

_Protect?_ he thought. _Not anymore. You took her away_.

"The answer…is no." He drew his left hand away from his chest, pointing it away from himself, as it began to glow a sickly green. _You have taken even that small pleasure away from me. You will pay, Father…you will pay for making me look like a fool!  
_

He continued. "I, Sesshoumaru, have no need of such."

Ryo closed his eyes. Sesshoumaru was lost to him, forever.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes and watched his Father transform, and he prepared for the ultimate fight, but Ryo did not stay; he ran, away from their fight. Sesshoumaru thought, _Fucking coward!  
_

He watched Ryo until he could no longer see him. His hatred for the world grew stronger, his heart freezing, into ice. The warm boy everyone had known for the last five months was gone, and he would never return.

"Why would I have any reason to waste my time protecting someone?" he asked no one in particular. His father had made sure that he'd have no one to protect ever again.

"Ridiculous!"

Turning, snowflakes blowing past his face, he walked away.

**oOo**

Izayoi, alone, in labour, feared for her life. Takemaru had heard months ago about the demon War, and had come this past week to see her. She had been wary; if he wanted something, she could bet that she wouldn't agree with it.

His soldiers had swarmed the place, and now, as night fell, he strode down the porch, headed for her room. A maid begged him not to enter; it was taboo for men to bear witness to a birth.

"She will birth the child of a demon; there is no need for decorum." He'd scoffed, and when she insisted, he stopped, and lopped off her head, bloodying the tip of his once-clean naginata.

He continued on, not bothering to wipe the weapon off.

Izayoi moaned; she had not been prepared for so much pain. Her labour had begun the day before, but she had only sent the runner to Sesshoumaru when she thought she was near the end of her labour.

Takemaru stopped in his stroll, and looked up at the winter sky.

"Excellent, the night of a lunar eclipse - it's the perfect time to slay a demon." _In more ways than one_, he thought.

Reaching her door, he entered, and made himself comfortable on the floor next to her cabana, he supposed he should call it. It looked like a tent to him.

A lamp burned outside of it, and her moans were pained as another contraction, this one longer than the last, finally subsided.

"My dearest," she murmured quietly, but he still heard her. She was silent after that.

He waited patiently for her to acknowledge him; she could not help but see the shadow the light cast over the fabric draped all around her.

Finally, she croaked, "Who is it?"

He wasted no time. "It is I, Takemaru of Setsuna."

"Takemaru?" _Why are you here?_ she thought. I_ thought I'd be the last person you'd want to see_.

_I am doing you a favour_, he thought to himself as she spoke.

She decided to butter him up; maybe then he wouldn't be too rash and do something stupid - like kill her.

"Thank God you have arrived; you must gather the men outside and leave the grounds at once. Please do as I say; I fear there is no one strong enough to challenge him."

She didn't know which _him_ would be coming, but she thought that maybe if she sounded like she was worried for Takemaru, things would turn out better.

His next words chilled her to the bone.

"My Lady, I have long felt a deep connection with you, as I'm sure you're well aware. I realise full-well that your heart has been captured by a demon."

He jabbed the naginata through the tent, and struck her in the chest.

She screamed.

Blowing out the lamp, he placed his helmet over his head and murmured, "My feelings for you will never change, my Lady."

She reached up toward the moon through the window, and as it was completely eclipsed, her child was born, and its cries echoed through the still cold of the night. Gathering it up, she managed to place it before her breast before her life fled from her, and she died, her blood staining the floor around her, and pooling at the dip near the centre of the room.

**oOo**

Ryo, in his demon form, loped through the snow, his chest bleeding profusely. His arm had already healed; it was of no concern to him now. All that mattered was Izayoi, and getting to her. Tensaiga vibrated; her last hour had come.

Myouga, Ryo's fair-weather retainer, crawled along the fur on his face, close to his eyes, and shouted, "Please, you must reconsider, my Lord! Your wounds from Ryuukotsusei have not yet healed! This is sheer madness-"

"That doesn't matter now!" Ryo interrupted Myouga's shrill cries, "I cannot afford to lose her!"

"Please, Master!"

"Besides, I am not long for this world."

"Master!" Myouga bleated mournfully, knowing that this would not end well.

Ryo came to the cliff edge, and howled mournfully at the darkened moon.

_Izayoi, I am coming for you_…

**oOo**

Takemaru felt the explosion rock the ground - _he was here_.

He shouted an order for the bowmen to shoot from the ramparts on the surrounding wall, but the men were wary; that last explosion was massive, and the dust still hadn't cleared. They searched in vain for a target through the dust clouds, and when someone yelled, "Wind Scar!" they aimed and shot at the figure that leaped from the mist, hitting his arms and chest, pin-cushioning him as he delivered the mighty blow.

Soldiers flew, the gate collapsed, and still the demon kept coming. The arrows hadn't slowed him down at all.

He got to the gate, the massive fang in his hand catching the moonlight, which was once again visible as it passed from behind the Earth.

"Izayoi! Izayoi!"

Takemaru smiled, and left the darkness of the house, a twinkle in his eye. His mind was no longer functioning properly; it had taken a walk off the map.

"You've finally come, demon. A little late, though."

Ryo glared at the audacious man. "_What_?"

"Lady Izayoi is beyond your reach, now. I dispatched her myself." His satisfied tone grated Ryo's nerves like nails on a slate.

"Damn you, fool!" he rushed Takemaru, and hefted Tetsusaiga up, while Takemaru, grunting, came at him, his katana raised.

They passed each other, but Ryo did not stop; he kept running as he brought the blade down, and jammed it in his sheath as he loped up the steps into the house.

Takemaru, however, did not fare so well. His left arm, severed at the shoulder joint, lay in a puddle of blood at his feet, and he clutched the bloody stump of his shoulder tightly, wincing with the fresh jolts of pain radiating from the wound to all the nerve-ends in his body. He gritted his teeth; he had lost!

Looking up, his soldiers looked to him for orders. Frowning, he shouted, "Set fire to the mansion! Kill that demon, and everyone inside! _Burn it to the ground! _"

Ryo was still searching, following his nose, when smoke began to pour out of the mansion, the shoji screen doors burning like the paper the were made from. His shoes crunched on snow as he ran, and his breath puffed white into the air as its warmth left his lungs.

Finally, he found her.

Her cabana was aflame; the pitiful cries of a hungry new-born child were loud in his ears, and he flung the flaming contraption away, to reveal his dead mate, and the child of her womb. Tensaiga pulsed with urgency.

Ryo whipped it out, and held it over her. _If_ _only I'd had this when you were killed, Amaya_, he thought, thinking of his first wife.

As soon the pallbearers from the Underworld came into view, he slashed them, slicing their tiny bodies as if they were made of smoke.

His vision returned to normal, and Izayoi took a deep breath, and he put Tensaiga away, the sword now silent.

Crouching next to her, he pulled from behind his breastplate a swatch of fabric, red in colour, and draped it over her head, and she scooped up the wailing infant, wrapping him tightly in his blanket.

"Ryo," she said, the flames almost drowning out her voice, "I'm so sorry, darling..."

He glanced at the child, whose only giveaway that he was of demon seed were his white hair and fuzzy ears, flicking madly atop his tiny head. No stripes, nor crescent moon symbol were visible.

He sighed in relief.

"Do not fret, darling; the child is ours."

She smiled, happy to hear the good news.

They both turned at the sound of a sword being drawn. Takemaru stood in the flaming doorway, katana raised with his good arm, his bloody face making him appear demonic himself in the waves of heat that danced all around him.

His voice, despite the roar of the flames, came through clearly to their ears as he slowly approached them. Ryo pulled her to her feet, and stood protectively before her.

"I have no regrets about fighting you to the death. Let us travel to the Netherworld together."

Ryo groaned inwardly. Just when he thought he'd get out of this alive, this bastard had to refuse to die and come after him for one last stand.

_Fucking human_, he thought angrily.

Izayoi looked from one man to the other. _What was Ryo going to do?  
_

"Inu Yasha," he said. Izayoi frowned.

"What's that?" Takemaru shouted.

"The infant's name. The child shall be called Inu Yasha."

Izayoi looked at the little boy. The name suited him admirably.

"Now go!" The words were harsh. She paused; _was he speaking to her?  
_

He looked at her over his shoulder impatiently. She frowned, desperate.

"No, _not without you_!"

His heart lifted, and he was no longer angry. She wanted to stay with him, but he could not allow it; she and the child _had_ to live; he would see to it.

"If you don't get out of here, that pup won't have a mother to depend on. Go, Izayoi, for me."

Finally, she nodded, and turned to flee, the cold snow biting into her feet as she ran through it, and up the hillside behind the mansion. The last thing she saw before the whole structure collapsed were Ryo and Takemaru clashing swords, and what she thought was a large Dragon, but dismissed it as a figment of her imagination, a trick of the flames. Tears flowed from her eyes as she heard his voice in her head:

_Izayoi, you must survive! Live a long life. Live long and well - with Inu Yasha_.

She looked at the child cradled in her arms. He was so sweet, and his ears were cuter than a button. He was the only reminder of Ryo she had, and she would cherish him like no other. For the first time in her life she didn't understand why people were so afraid to accept demon and half-demon children. They were just as precious as every other child - maybe even more so, and should be treated as such. She vowed that as long as she lived her little boy would have a good life, and would never know what it was to be deemed unfit for society.

She bit off a little more than she could chew.

**oOo**

Five years later, Sesshoumaru walked past a village, and a familiar scent came to his nose, _her_ scent. He narrowed his eyes. _What was she doing here?_ He decided to investigate.

Izayoi sat with a book in her lap, with several children around her, all listening raptly as she read out loud to them, her face changing to suit the mood of the story. One moment she was serious, the next she was laughing. The children were having a great time. He waited until she was through and the children had disappeared, back to their own homes. She smiled at them as they departed, then closed her book and rose to go inside. He noticed that she no longer wore the many layers of a princess; now, she wore a simple yet intricately embroidered kimono, and her hair was shorter.

He stepped from behind the tree he had been observing her from.

She jumped, then put a hand to her heart.

"Sesshoumaru! Don't scare me like that! I've been feeling oddly enough as it is lately, are you trying to kill me?"

He said nothing, nor smiled, as he approached her. She let him.

Pausing before her, he lifted her hair in his hand, and shook his head. She said nothing.

As they stood there staring at each other, he feeling lust again for the first time since he'd seen her last, she feeling fondness for the first time since she'd seen him last, a small boy with white hair came streaking toward them, shouting, "Mommy! Mommy! Who's dat man?" and pointing his clawed little finger.

Izayoi tore her gaze away as the child latched onto her legs, and looked up at Sesshoumaru. He felt the urge to smile, but the child's face, bearing no marks to identify him as his own, made him pause. For some inexplicable reason he felt relief; but on the other hand, he still felt cheated, too.

"Inu Yasha, don't point sweetheart, it's rude," she admonished him, and his ears drooped. She continued, "This is your brother, Sesshoumaru."

Even though Sesshoumaru could find no feeling of love in his heart for this child of his Father's, the man who'd stolen the woman before him away, he had to admit that the boy was a cute little bastard, in his little red haori and hakama.

"Hello, Sessomaru," he said, trying, but failing to correctly pronounce his brother's name.

Sesshoumaru looked back at him, his face blank.

Izayoi said then, "Sweetheart, why don't you run along and play? Mommy has some things she needs to discuss with Sesshoumaru."

Inu Yasha nodded, and ran away, looking for his toys.

Izayoi faced Sesshoumaru again. "I'm sorry, but he isn't yours. It's for the best, I suppose." She looked at her hands.

Sesshoumaru suddenly recalled a time when he had prayed very hard to the Gods that the child not be his, but still felt disappointment in the region of his heart. It was all he was capable of feeling, now.

"I only came to see if you were well; I picked up your scent, and followed it. If you ever need me, I will not be far away." Izayoi noticed that he seemed to refer only to her, and not the child. She wondered if maybe she was reading too much into his explanation.

"Thank you," she said, and then added, "Will I see you again?"

He had turned his back, and was leaving. He paused, and looking over his shoulder, in a way that reminded her so much of Ryo, minus the stoic expression, he replied, "That depends on you."

She nodded once, and he continued on his way. She watched him go, his silver hair blowing in the wind, his posture so straight, his steps measured, his silhouette almost red against the sunset.

_You are your Father's son, Sesshoumaru_, she thought sadly, her heart going out to him; he was miserable, and it pained her to see him this way.

_I just hope that one day you'll realise that_.

**oOo**

Well, that's it. Hope you guys liked it, it took me two whole days to write. What a bastard, eh? Lemme hear from ya, I wanna know everything you have to say about this story! Review, review, review!


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